Like Blossoms
by C.Reverie
Summary: 600,000 yen a month- he agreed to monthly payments so they'd keep her safe. Kagome struggles to cope with the fact she's become Mafia cargo. "Oh, no, it's always been a dream of mine to have a price put on me." The snarky little miko is very unhappy with her new situation.
1. Chapter 1

**_Summary: 600,000 yen a month- he agreed to monthly payments so they'd keep her safe. Kagome struggles to cope with the fact she's become Mafia cargo. "Oh, no, it's always been a dream of mine to have a price put on me." The snarky little miko is very unhappy with her new situation._**

_Pairing: Kagome x ? ; Sesshoumaru x Kouyou._

Disclaimer: I don't own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

_**Note**_:  
Will lack canonicity.  
Rated for potential dark themes/and lots of descriptions of blood and violence

* * *

Prologue

* * *

She could barely recognize the sound of the shutting door, and the cold voice filling the space between them was practically unheard by her.

"This might not be ideal for you-"

Kagome focused on her lap as every thought coursing through her head tried to bring her some sort of understanding of everything she had just been forced to hear, witness, and even _sit_ through.

She had the urge to pinch herself, just to be sure this wasn't some kind of horrible dream.

_Had she really just been-_

"Are you even paying attention to me, Kagome?"

At the mention of her name, Kagome jumped out of her chair, blinking light blue eyes as she searched for the source of the voice. She shook her head a second later. Her hands captured her attention as she shrugged apologetically. "No, sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama."

She heard his intake of breath.

"Your inability to pay attention will be what inevitably gets you killed."

Kagome felt her expression twist into a sour glare. "I think you're overreacting."

"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru challenged, narrowing gold eyes at her. He heard her exasperated sigh.

"Did you really just do that?"Kagome asked, her voice dipping to a softer octave. "I know you mean well, but…"

"But what?"

Kagome dug her fingers into the material of her skirt, gripping tightly as she hunted for the proper words to say to the demon lord standing and glowering down at her. She wasn't afraid of him, but he was intimating. A second later she sighed and shook her head. "You've literally turned me into cargo for the Port Mafia to protect. You're paying them to protect me. Don't you see anything wrong with that?!" Kagome finally snapped at him, finding no better way to phrase her frustrations.

"No, I don't," Sesshoumaru responded honestly, and Kagome could feel her frustrations continuing to mount. "They have their rules to follow when it comes to you, if that's what bothers you so much."

"That's not the point!" she shrieked before recalling that the only thing separating them and her new protectors was the closed door they stood behind. She spared it a quick glance before quieting down again. "Oh, god, why am I even trying to explain this to you?" she muttered to herself, "you won't understand."

"I saw no other option," he said, dismissing her agitation without any worry. "You have your standards about killing humans, and, no matter how ridiculous they are, I have no choice other than to accept your-"

"My standards aren't ridiculous!" Kagome snapped at him. "I'm a miko, I- I can't kill humans! I won't do it!"

"See? All the more reason for you to be here. This organization doesn't get caught up in minor things as you do."

"There's _got _to be a better way," she said, almost pleading for him to take this back. "I- I don't want to be here. I don't belong here."

Sesshoumaru sighed. "You won't allow yourself to kill humans, you left me no other choice than to place you here. The group after you, after the jewel, is human. If you won't kill to protect yourself, you'll be guarded by those who will. At least, until I've hunted them all down."

"I…" Though she tried, Kagome found herself unable to keep the argument alive. She didn't have it in her to keep trying when it was obvious he refused to change his mind.

Sesshoumaru could see she had submitted to the arrangement he had put into place, and he made his way to the door. "I'll check in every other week with you to be sure they are upholding their end of the agreement."

"What if they aren't?" Kagome asked, despite already having an inkling as to what his response would be.

"Do you even have to ask?" Sesshoumaru said, not even turning back to her. "I'll kill them- oh." Sesshoumaru was halted in front of those waiting outside the door while they were speaking. He chuckled, the sound strange and unnatural coming from him as he pushed through them. "_**Just kidding.**_"

She watched his departing form as she was rooted to her spot, feeling so uncomfortable in the shadows of that room.

Kagome knew those words were a lie, and she got the feeling so did the other people. Neither was it an accident- letting them overhear.

It was a warning.

Fail at this task, and you are _dead._

* * *

C.R: Been busy and feeling a little under the weather lately. Finished this up today, so I'll go ahead and post it. I have updates for other fics in the works, so don't worry.

Kagome's pairing is undecided. Up for suggestions, though.

That's it for now. Hopefully you all enjoyed. I hope I caught all the errors, but, if not, apologies (again, still a little sick.)

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now ~


	2. Chapter 2

**_Summary: 600,000 yen a month- he agreed to monthly payments so they'd keep her safe. Kagome struggles to cope with the fact she's become Mafia cargo. "Oh, no, it's always been a dream of mine to have a price put on me." The snarky little miko is very unhappy with her new situation._**

_Pairing: Kagome x ? ; Sesshoumaru x Kouyou._

Disclaimer: I don't own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

_**Note**_:  
Will lack canonicity.  
Rated for potential dark themes/and lots of descriptions of blood and violence

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

A box resting on the surface of his desk captured his attention. Mori glanced at it before turning back to the collected sheets of paper spread out in front of him. A part of him questioned what he had just done in accepting this offer, realizing in the aftermath the very dangerous figure he was dealing with.

**Sesshoumaru  
****Daiyoukai.  
Status: Active.  
Location: Japan.  
Rank Category: Lethal.  
****AVOID AT ALL COSTS.**

Mori set the documents back in the folder he had pulled them from and he buried it in the lowest drawer of his desk for safekeeping. Once done, he folded his hands and rested his chin on them as he hummed quietly to himself.

Following accepting the offer to protect the small girl who had come in tow with the imposing figure, he'd had someone secure the information on the man. Even after reading up on the bizarre figure, he'd agreed to his offer. After all, it was a simple task for the Port Mafia. Killing the hunters, protect the cute little girl they marked as their prey- despite her obvious unwillingness for this option.

The girl, Kagome, reeked of innocence and practically radiated a beam of light from her without trying. Her eyes were still wide, much like a newborn lamb. How she ever became close to a figure such as that demon known as Sesshoumaru was none of his concern, but it did intrigue him.

He leaned back in his chair, and just then his attention fell on a box that had been left on the edge of his desk. Sesshoumaru had set it there before leaving, saying nothing more than it held some of Kagome's possessions, and that it should be given to her before the end of the day. Mori eyed it for a moment before finally calling to have someone take it to the girl.

* * *

Dark gray walls and a dark-colored room in general left her on edge. It was the stark opposite of her bedroom back home, and she didn't like it. She let her gaze sweep over the room before she sighed and sank down on the bed. It was soft and the only comforting thing she had in this situation.

As per Sesshoumaru's demands, she was being well looked after and guarded by her new protectors. That included an apartment to herself, clothing- none of which suited her in the slightest, and the most uncomfortable part: a member of the mafia stationed outside her apartment door for protective measures. She was positive he'd eventually be replaced by someone else, and so forth.

Despite the provided… _comforts_\- a word she would use excessively lightly in this situation, she was far from at ease here. She wanted nothing more than to sneak out and hide out in her home, but she didn't want to cost people their lives by doing something like that. She knew if anything, and that genuinely meant _anything_ by Sesshoumaru's standards, he'd very easily wipe out the mass of lives filling the organization that was the Port Mafia. Despite the differences they had, she didn't want to cause needless deaths. _He_ didn't care about the lives of humans, but, despite their actions and everything they did, she couldn't let herself be the direct cause for so many deaths.

"What am I even supposed to do here?" Kagome spoke out loud, despite being well aware she wouldn't get an answer. "Just stay here all day? Can I even leave this place at all?" Could she leave, or would she be kept locked up like a prisoner? Or would she be able to go about like her normal life, just as long as she had an escort?

She stood up and began to pace around the room she was in at the mere thought of being kept in this apartment for an unpredictable amount of time. The entire thing made her uncomfortable. She wasn't fond of the idea of being locked up, and if that was the case then she'd surely end up going insane before a single week was up.

With a huff, Kagome froze mid-step and looked in the direction of the door. The sudden addition of a new aura set her on edge, and her impatience soon switched to curiosity. It was quiet for a few moments, but to her surprise, before long she heard the click of the door to her new residence open. Kagome bounded out of the bedroom, stalking cautiously towards the entry point.

The figure she was greeted by was a woman quite a few years older than her. She was dressed in a luxurious kimono, and her striking red hair was pinned up in an elegant updo. She carried something in her arms, a decent sized box that she soon set on a table next to the door. Kagome stilled herself upon making it to the end of the hall, letting several feet of empty space separate them both.

"Uhm…" Kagome was at a loss on what to say. Her instincts told her that she didn't have reason to worry- that this woman was one of the many members of the Port Mafia currently protecting her for easy money.

Well… she doubted the money was easy money when it all boiled down. One small slip up and Sesshoumaru would completely decimate the entire building and all the lives inside it. She didn't know the rules they had to follow when it came to handling her, but she was certain it was an extensive list. He'd never leave her here if there was any possibility of her being in danger. That would defeat the purpose of paying them to protect her.

"Oh, how cute- that little expression of yours." Kouyou covered her mouth with a hand, hiding the red-painted smile that had appeared on her face. A second later, she looked away and at the box she had placed on the table. "I was told to bring you something," she said, waving a hand to encourage the younger girl towards her. "Your companion left it for you before leaving."

Kagome perked up then and carefully trotted over towards the unfamiliar woman, keeping a bit of space there as a precaution. She could feel no air of a lie in this woman's words. "Sesshoumaru-sama did?" At once her curiosity had claimed her, and she gently pulled the lid off of the box. "Oh!"

Folded neatly inside the box were several different articles of clothing- most notably, they were her clothing. On top of them was a folded piece of paper. She took it first and read it.

_**"Consider this a comfort while you're kept there. A bit of familiarity will assist you in adjusting."**_

Though she was still annoyed with him for leaving her here, the small gesture of kindness from him made her smile. It wasn't like him to think of her enough to try and comfort her, at least not enough to leave her something like this. Usually, if ever, it was words he left her with, none of which ever actually comforted her.

After a moment, she dropped the note back in the box and she looked up at the woman who had delivered it to her. She offered her a smile. "Thank you for bringing it to me," Kagome said. A second later she paused, wondering if she'd mind answering a few questions for her. Kagome thought she'd at least try. "Um… Could I ask you a couple of things- uh…" Though she tried, she was at a loss on what this woman's name was, suddenly realizing that information had never been exchanged.

"Ozaki Kouyou," she said, relenting and finally telling Kagome her name.

Kagome nodded and repeated the name a few times in her head to commit it to memory. "It's nice to meet you, Ozaki-san. I'm Kagome."

"What do you want to ask, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome glanced at the clothing as she carefully phrased what she wanted to say. A second or two later, she glanced back up and exhaled the breath she was holding onto. "I just really want to know if I'll be able to leave this place while I'm here." Kagome looked down at her feet and sighed. "Sesshoumaru-sama didn't fill me in with all the rules he set in place with you while I'm here," she admitted. "If I can be honest, the thought of being trapped for who knows how long is extremely… uncomfortable."

Kouyou smiled and gently patted her shoulder. "Trapped? Oh no, you're free to leave this apartment whenever you please just as long as you have an attendant escorting you around. You are a guest, after all. We can't force you in here and lock you away, even if we wanted to."

"Really?" Kagome felt lighter than she had before once hearing that confirmation. "That's so relieving." She could handle being escorted around if that was what it took to keep her from being locked away as if she was in a fairytale gone wrong. "In that case, would it be okay if I went out now? There are a few things I need to get from my home. I didn't know when Sesshoumaru-sama got me this morning that'd I'd be left here."

"I'll have someone come get you in a little while. Just sit patiently until then, Kagome-chan."

"Okay," Kagome said, and after a moment, the door to the apartment closed and she was left alone again. She turned her attention to the box of clothing Sesshoumaru had brought for her, and she decided to go through it.

After looking through it, she pulled out familiar garb to change into. She placed the clothes she had been wearing since early that morning out of the way to wash later after she changed out of them.

There wasn't much variety in the clothing Sesshoumaru had left for her. In fact, all of them were the traditional garb she wore at the shrine. So she didn't have much of a choice in what she wore, besides the color of her hakama.

She had a few things to get from the shrine, and she had a few things to do there before taking leave from it for so long.

* * *

C.R: Quick update for this.

To give a general timeframe, this is set about the start of the anime, give or take a little bit. I don't know if it was mentioned in the first chapter, but Kagome is 20 years old at this point.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting. If not, sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~


End file.
